FC Midtjylland held on for a 1-1 draw away to Odense in the ninth round of the Superliga. The team played with ten men for over an hour following a red card to Abdou Aziz Ndiaye but showed great character to secure the point.
Friday Etim put FC Midtjylland ahead in the 10th minute with an assist from David Martínez. Manager M. Tullberg's 3-4-1-2 formation kept Odense's attacks at bay for large parts of the first half. The situation changed dramatically just before the break when Ndiaye, who had come on as an early substitute for the injured Magnus Jensen, received his second yellow card and was sent off.
With a man advantage, Odense pressed hard in the second half. Noah Ganaus equalised for the home side in the 75th minute following a cross from Alexander Ahl Holmstrom. Despite a massive 63 percent possession and 21 shots to Midtjylland's six, Odense could not find a winner. FC Midtjylland goalkeeper E. Ólafsson made three saves, and the defence worked tirelessly to preserve the point. Odense had several big chances, including a Holmstrom header cleared off the line by a Midtjylland defender and a shot from Jeppe Tverskov that went just over the bar.
Team news and lineup
The team had to handle an early substitution as Magnus Jensen went off after just four minutes with an apparent injury. Tullberg used all five substitutes to freshen up the side during the tough test. The starting lineup was: Ólafsson, R. Kristensen, M. Jensen, V. Bak Jensen, P. Billing, D. Castillo, P. Bravo, D. Martínez, Cho Gue-Sung, S. Iheanacho, F. Etim. In addition to Ndiaye, A. Sisto, E. Chilufya, M. Rajovic and M. Dreyer also came on during the match.
The result means FC Midtjylland remain in second place in the Superliga with 18 points from eight games. The team is now unbeaten in its last five league matches. Top scorer Friday Etim, who has three goals this season, was substituted in the 80th minute for Mileta Rajovic. Odense Boldklub earned their first point in three matches and now sit in a mid-table position.
The next challenge is at home against league leaders FC Copenhagen on October 11. Before that match, the team's current form and injury status can be followed on our standings and injuries pages.
